Each year the Up Til Dawn event is held at Acker Gym on the Chico State campus, running throughout the night.

It's basically one giant donation letter writing party for St. Jude.

The nonprofit hospital and research facility gives families in need free treatment, mostly of catastrophic diseases like cancer and leukemia.

And out of more than 100 schools nationwide that participate in Up Til Dawn, Chico State has been the top fundraiser five out of the last five years.

Last year they came in second to the University of Memphis which is where St. Jude is located. Up Til Dawn Associate Director Ian Gilbert says that Chico State--2,500 miles from Memphis--shows its commitment to the cause.

"The reason why we succeed so well is because this event is so inclusive of the campus," says Associate Director Ian Gilbert. "They (University of Memphis) have 40,000 students and they're raising $100,000, we have 15,000 students and we're raising $100,000. That just shows that the number of students that are involved are involved for the right reasons, the right quality of letters. We're hitting every resource possible to make this event successful."

Gilbert says in 2008 Chico State set an institutional record by raising more than $200,000 dollars and they hope to reach that goal again this year.

Last year they raised $112,000 dollars so it's a lofty goal they have set.

Over the last 12 years Chico State has earned the St. Jude Children's Hospital about $1.4 million.

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